Dear Chocolate Lovers,

On February 14, 1977, I was five years old and madly in love with Eric. Let me paint his portrait for you: a mop of brown hair, glasses, and his 40-inch-tall self sporting a short-sleeve shirt—even in the dead of winter. As someone who has always reached for an extra sweater, I was fascinated by Eric’s confidence in the face of cold. Who was this hot-blooded, preternatural creature??? I had to know! One thing led to another, and before long we were exchanging declarations of love through the shoebox mailbox in our kindergarten classroom.

1977 was also the year I became captivated by chocolate (you can read that story here), and little did I know how profoundly it would rock my world. Now, in case you’re wondering, Eric turned out to be a passing fling. Once the weather warmed up and everyone was in short sleeves, he no longer seemed quite so exotic. Chocolate, on the other hand, proved to be the real deal—a love that has stood the test of time. And here I am, nearly 49 Valentine’s Days later, sharing this passion with you.

When it comes to chocolate, here’s what I’m excited about lately: several new treats in the Barometer Chocolate online boutique, some beloved favorites back in stock, a stack of excellent chocolate bars I’ll be considering this (snowy) weekend for the collection, and upcoming tastings that you can join!

Here are some new arrivals
– A traditional Danish treat from Friis Holm—tart cherries macerated in cherry brandy and enrobed in chocolate
– Marou’s Vietnamese Coffee Milk Chocolate full-size & mini bar, inspired by the specialty drink of slow-brewed coffee and sweetened condensed milk served over ice
– A 74% Ghanaian dark chocolate from Fruition with rich brownie notes
– Valrhona’s vegan milk chocolate snacking pieces, rich and creamy, made with super-finely ground almonds and gorgeous Madagascan cacao

Also now in stock  are Fruition’s Cherry White Chocolate Pistachios and a 70% dark chocolate bar with rum!

I also have lots of events coming up:

Saturday, February 7
Valentine’s Open House Party at my South Orange, NJ home
🕐 1–7 pm
RSVP by replying to this email and I’ll add your name to the guest list. Expect plenty of chocolate samples, my luscious flourless chocolate cake, champagne, nibbles, and the full Barometer Chocolate collection available for purchase.

Monday, February 9 | 6:30–8:30 pm
Virtual tasting for the Princeton Adult School

Wednesday, February 11 | 7–9 pm
In-person tasting for the South Orange–Maplewood Adult School

Thursday, February 12 | 4–7 pm
Pop-up tasting at the lovely Neighbors Wine Shop in South Orange

Wednesday, February 25 | 7–9 pm
Virtual tasting for the Scarsdale Adult School

Thursday, April 9 | 7 pm
Wine & Chocolate Pairing with Two Sommeliers
My partner in crime, wine sommelier Julie Margolis, and I will have your palate singing as we pair two of life’s greatest indulgences. This in-person event will be held at Julie’s beautiful Montclair home.
💰 $80 per guest | Limited to 35 tasters
Payment via Zelle or Venmo. Contact me through the website if you’d like to attend and I’ll send details.

So, as you can see, I’ll be busy through February and beyond—hosting tastings and filling orders. But what will Eric be doing? Well, I imagine he’s sitting in an igloo somewhere in the Arctic, sipping frozen hot chocolate in his t-shirt while ordering cool Valentine’s gifts from my website. His brown hair may now be gray, and he surely has progressive lenses in those glasses—but I bet he’s still hot!

With Love & Chocolate,
Nadine